Sweet Box

Today's the day ....................... to keep on giving

I was out in the garden this afternoon, filling up the bird feeders, when I was suddenly aware of a powerful heady scent.  I knew immediately what it was because this is the time of the year when the Sarcococca or sweet box bush, comes into its own.

Of course, this perfume is not there just to dispel the winter blues.  It will attract the few foraging insects that are around at this time of year to come and pollinate. It is odd to think of pollinating insects in winter, but they are present and in a mild winter, even some bees will stay out.

And there's another additional benefit that the sweet box keeps up its sleeve  - because after the flowers come the big black berries that the birds will enjoy.  Often, because the flowers keep coming over a long period of time, there are flowers and berries together on the same bush, as you can see above.

It's a shrub that just keeps on giving ........................!